Dianne B - $1,500/month

I admit that I surprised myself by having decided that I might prefer living with a like-minded person rather than continuing to live alone, as I have for the past several years, post partnership. But as I’ve grown older—I’m middle-aged—I’ve also become more inclined to believe that sharing our lives, in any number of configurations, might be the better way to live. We get so much more when we combine resources, and not only materially. So, although it’s been a while since I’ve lived with anyone other than with a partner, I can say with confidence that I’m considerate and clean, a good communicator, extremely neat, introverted but warm, and that I laugh a lot (particularly at myself). I’m originally from California, and I live a physically active life—I’ve never been without a bike, have an old Dodge minivan, which I’d be more than happy to share with you, and a surfboard I these days only occasionally take out to the Rockaways, because these days the main thing that I do is write, having been given a generous (but also intimidating) six-figure book deal two years ago. I also have a job—I’m on the editorial staff of The New Yorker—but my hours there are unusual (three days, two nights) and I suspect that what might work best is that you have a day job or travel for work. I’m open to the idea of a student, have no real preference in terms of gender or age; what matters most is that we click and have compatible approaches about how to maintain autonomy while sharing a space.

Before I became obliged to spend the majority of my time sitting in a chair trying to fathom how to write a book, I mainly cooked for my friends and family (my refrigerator is always filled with great organic food from the Park Slope food co-op), took a lot a dance classes, read a lot (I get dozens of free books at the magazine each week, by the way, which could be a plus for you, if you're a reader), and spent a good amount of time swimming. I was often out in LA or down in New Orleans, but for the next few months I’m going to need to be at my writing desk, so I’m looking for someone quiet, and someone who treats their home as a sanctuary of sorts. I really care about the aesthetics of my space and hope to live alongside a person who feels similarly.

I’m also hoping that you’re someone who's sensitive to the gentrification issues affecting Bed Stuy and that you’d be open to a certain level of engagement with the community. I’ve heard that the block association is very active, which I’m planning to become part of, and that the people who live on this block are proud of its beauty and serenity. So, write to me and tell me a bit about yourself and let’s see if we make sense.